Nursing bottle holder



June 15, 1937. w, CHARLES 2,084,243

NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER Filed March 4, 1956 Patented June 15, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER Kathryn West Charles, Atlanta, Ga. Application'March 4, 1936, Serial 67,131

1 Claim.

The invention relates to nursing bottle holders for use in feeding infants with aminimum of adult attention and has for its objects to provide certain new and useful improvements in devices of this character.

An important object of the invention is to provide a nursing bottle holder so designed as to maintain the inserted bottle in inverted position suspended for convenient access by the infant according to the desires of the latter While in the usual reclining position within a crib or the like. In this manner it is not necessary to tilt the bottle and the holder from a horizontal or inclined position to a substantially vertical position in order for the infant to have convenient access to the nipple without necessarily using its hands. As a result of the invention the bottle remains so as to be readily accessible to the baby who may merely insert the bottle nipple in its mouth for as long period as desired after which the infant may release the nipple regardless of whether the bottle contents have been partially or entirely consumed, and the infant when so inclined; and frequently without assistance may regain the-nipplein its g mouth without necesarily requiring attention on the part of a nurse or adult, thereby constituting a marked convenience in the operation of feeding the child. a

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is constructed of more or less resilient material to the end that the bottle may be frictionally held within the holder which in turn is suspended from the sides of the crib by means of flexible resilient members designed to be readily adjustable to ac- I commodate various sizes 'of cribs and various degrees of suspension ina vertical plane with re-r spect to the height of the crib wallsand the position of the infants head therein. The device is further capable of economical manufacture so as to be available at relatively small cost for use by parents and hospitals in order to materially reduce the time and attention ordinarily necessary for feeding an infant at comparatively frequent intervals during the day and night. The device may be constructed of various sizes so as to accommodate the desired size of nursing bottle as now commonly manufactured and sold in the trade.

5 With such objects in view as well as other useful advantages which may be incident to the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed with the understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in proportions and arrangements without departing from the nature and scope of the improvements.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawing means for carrying the invention into practical effect, without limiting the improvements in their useful operations to the particular construction which for the purpose of explanation, has been illustrated.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention in a preferred embodiment and illustrating the device as suspended from the walls or sides of a childs crib and illustrating the position of the bottle maintained Within convenient access to the infant who may grasp and release the nipple without manual attention or without necessarily employing its hands. a

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the holder and component parts and showing a nursing bottle in position therein.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the holder proper in spaced relation by means of. spaced substantially vertical or longitudinal rods or members 3'. A pair of diametrically opposed securing members or trunnion supports 4 are preferably rigidly secured at one end 4a as by soldering to the upper ring member so as to constitute with the aforesaid elements a substantially unitary and rigid bottle holder. All of the described parts may be constructed of metal wire of suitable gauge or diameter, the connections between the ring and side elements being made by solder or any desired securing medium. The outer portions of the supporting members 4 are illustrated as bent into loops or eyes 5 so as to receive and. provide a pivotal connection for the inner ends respectively of a pair of flexible and resilient or elastic members or cords 6. The latter at one end as best seen in Figure 3 are each bent reversely and secured together by sheet metal or other clip members 1. The opposite end of each resilient element 6 is also bent upon itself as indicated at 8 and secured in position by means of yieldable members or clamps 9 of any desired construction. As illustrated each clamp 9 includes substantially parallel tubular portions ll0-a through which the cord members are free to slide, especially when drawn taut or extended to slightly diminish the diameter thereof. A hook portion H of appropriate construction is pivotally secured to the outer portion of each resilient member 6 and in this manner it will be noted that the length of the latter may be independently or conjointly adjusted to accommodate the entire device for suspension over or attachment to cribs of Various Widths. The hook members H are designed to removably engage for example the upper opposite rail members I2 of the crib as illustrated in Fig. 1.

A glass or other bottle is shown at I3 and is provided with the usual perforated nipple M. The bottle is designed to be lowered or inserted with slight frictional engagement into the cagelike holder from the top as shown in Figure 2 until the tapered portion or breast I 5 thereof engages the inner circumference of the lower ring member 2 after which the described frictional engagement, in conjunction with the permanent vertical position of the bottle in inverted position, prevents the same from being accidently displaced in any manner except by withdrawal from the holder in the opposite direction.

In the use of the device the adjustable clamps 9 are positioned relative to the elastic or resilient cord members 6 and with respect to the crib walls so that the holder depends at or near the center of the crib to such a degree as to be conveniently accessible to the mouth of the reclining infant (Fig. 1); The bottle, filled with milk or other desired nourishment is inserted in the holder in inverted position as shown in Figure 2 and the hook members II are engaged with the crib walls or rails I2, with the result that the nipple I4 may be placed within the mouth of the infant or taken by the latter with a minimum of manual attention; The resilience or elasticity of the elongated cord members facilitates the positioning and adjustment of the device as an entirety. After the device has been adjusted and applied to the crib in the manner described it will be obvious that the infant may partake of the bottle contents without further attention on the part of an adult. In the event the infant releases the nipple prior to taking a full feeding, it will be further obvious that'the constant substantially vertical position of the bottle renders it possible for the infant to regain the nipple unaided and this is particularly possible where the child has progressed in development to an extent where it is more fully conscious of its likes and dislikes. As soon as the nipple is released by the child any liquid contents of the bottle remain undisturbed and will not escape through the perforated nipple in the absence of any impelling force.

It will be further observed that the diametri- 6 materially limited range relative to the position of the childs head so as to be engaged and released bythe infant without change of position on the part of the latter. At the same time the bottle is maintained in a substantially vertical position at all times so that manual attention on the part of the infant or adult is normally unnecessary in order to insert the nipple in the mouth of the child or to constantly maintain the bottle and its holder within position for convenient feeding.

In Fig. 4 the resilient cord member 6 is illustrated as provided at one or both of its free ends with a spring latch member or snap hook which may be conveniently'and removably engaged with a loop or screw eye member l6 secured to or depending from the crib rail. This construction may also be present at the opposite side of the crib as will be apparent from a comparison of Fig. 1 with Fig. 4. This lends to convenient attachment of the bottle holder device to the crib when it is desired to provide nourishment for the child during a feeding interval.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form. hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

A nursing bottle holder for holding a bottle in inverted position, comprising a skeleton receptacle having secured thereto at its uppermost end when in use a pair of oppositely extending diametrically disposed trunnion members, and means secured to each trunnion member for removably securing the device to opposite wall portions of a crib or the like, whereby the holder and an inserted bottle is supported solely through said trunnions and is normally maintained inverted in substantially vertical position and swingable on a horizontal axis defined by said trunnion supports to render the bottle and holder freely accessible for feeding periods when desired by the infant without manual attention.

KATHRYN WEST CHARLES. 

